by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Bellus Academy - El Cajon— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Bellus Academy, 100% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $7,500 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $7,500. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
For undergraduates overall at Bellus Academy, 53% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, at an average of $7,432 a year. That amounts to 0.9% less than the $7,500 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $14,864 after two years and $29,728 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 53% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,432 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 167 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,241,132 |
The median student at Bellus Academy borrows $6,330 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,330 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $6,333 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,727 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Bellus Academy.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,573 |
| 25th percentile | $5,012 |
| 75th percentile | $10,749 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $16,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Bellus Academy.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Bellus Academy.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 43 | $7,784 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Bellus Academy.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Bellus Academy is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 90 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,333 |
| Middle income | $6,333 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,333 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,760 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $6,333 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Bellus Academy.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Worth Knowing
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.